OL Career Starts Returning

Today’s blog continues my in-depth look at my New and Improved Experience Chart. For 7 years I had listed an experience chart, which broke down the number of seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshmen each team had in the two deep and rated the teams experience level with a formula I devised. Last year, I made the experience chart FIVE TIMES better. I am just listing the senior starters, and the seniors in the two deep and the points accumulated by using the system in the magazine (pg 311). In tomorrow’s blog, I will break down each number of starters for the junior, sophomore and freshman classes. The 2nd factor that goes into my overall chart is the % of yards returning which I featured in the April 28th blog. Another factor listed is the % of lettermen returning which I broke down over the Memorial Day weekend and yesterday I discussed the % of tackles returning. Today I will look at the number of career starts returning for offensive lineman.

When most folks judge a team for the upcoming season they look at the QB, RB and WR’s that are returning. A few may take the time to look at star defensive players that are back (those with a lot of sacks or interceptions). However, very few look at the offensive line and yet the team that controls the line of scrimmage wins the game more often than not.

This year Georgia returns all five starters from last year and as a unit returns 155 career starts. The Bulldogs are led by All-American candidate OT Clint Boling and OC Ben Jones was 2nd Tm All-SEC LY. Their 12 sacks allowed LY were the fewest in the SEC and they are my #1 rated OL.

Florida St comes in at #2 on the list with 146 career starts and are led by All-American Rodney Hudson who could be the top OG in all of college football this year. The Seminoles also return OC Ryan McMahon who is one of the top centers in the country.

FAU is at the bottom of the list with 0 career starts back which obviously makes their OL my biggest concern on a team that has the ability to make some noise in the Sun Belt this year. Air Force has just one career start on this year’s OL which is the 2nd fewest. However, service academies do a great job with inexperienced units and they may be better than expected.

Now experience on the O-line is not the only criteria for an offensive line’s potential for the next year. You have to add in the Blue Chips, how last year’s line performed (ypc rushing and sacks allowed), size, etc. That is how a team like Florida can be just #32 in career starts returning but rated as my #4 OL this year.

Here are the OL career starts returning for all 120 teams:

Rank

Team

OL Career Sts

Rank

Team

OL Career Sts

1

GEORGIA

155

61

MARSHALL

69

2

FLORIDA ST

146

62

SAN DIEGO ST

67

3

LA TECH

126

63

TCU

67

4

MINNESOTA

114

64

BYU

66

5

N TEXAS

113

65

STANFORD

66

6

AUBURN

111

66

LOUISIANA

65

7

COLORADO

109

67

W KENTUCKY

65

8

BOSTON COLLEGE

108

68

TULSA

64

9

WISCONSIN

107

69

KANSAS ST

63

10

TEMPLE

107

70

UTEP

62

11

W MICHIGAN

107

71

KENT ST

61

12

FRESNO ST

107

72

USC

59

13

C MICHIGAN

104

73

N CAROLINA

57

14

TOLEDO

100

74

WEST VIRGINIA

57

15

S FLORIDA

99

75

NAVY

57

16

SAN JOSE ST

95

76

TROY

57

17

BOISE ST

94

77

VIRGINIA

56

18

OHIO ST

93

78

PENN ST

56

19

MIDDLE TENN

93

79

CINCINNATI

55

20

BALL ST

92

80

NOTRE DAME

55

21

UCLA

92

81

VIRGINIA TECH

54

22

RICE

91

82

INDIANA

54

23

UTAH ST

91

83

N ILLINOIS

52

24

NORTHWESTERN

89

84

LSU

52

25

IOWA ST

89

85

FIU

50

26

UTAH

89

86

ILLINOIS

48

27

CLEMSON

88

87

RUTGERS

48

28

SMU

88

88

MIAMI FL

47

29

WASHINGTON

88

89

PURDUE

47

30

TULANE

87

90

TEXAS

47

31

UAB

87

91

ARIZONA ST

47

32

FLORIDA

87

92

ALABAMA

46

33

MIAMI OH

86

93

NEVADA

46

34

UNLV

86

94

WAKE FOREST

45

35

KANSAS

85

95

MICHIGAN ST

43

36

OREGON

85

96

TEXAS A&M

43

37

WASH ST

85

97

OKLAHOMA

42

38

MISS ST

85

98

PITTSBURGH

42

39

HOUSTON

84

99

BOWLING GREEN

41

40

AKRON

84

100

SYRACUSE

40

41

MICHIGAN

82

101

OHIO

40

42

E CAROLINA

82

102

MARYLAND

38

43

BUFFALO

82

103

NEW MEXICO

38

44

MISSOURI

80

104

GEORGIA TECH

37

45

MEMPHIS

80

105

BAYLOR

37

46

ARKANSAS ST

78

106

IOWA

36

47

ARKANSAS

77

107

ULM

35

48

UCF

76

108

KENTUCKY

31

49

E MICHIGAN

76

109

NC STATE

30

50

NEBRASKA

75

110

COLORADO ST

30

51

DUKE

74

111

TEXAS TECH

29

52

CONNECTICUT

74

112

SOUTHERN MISS

26

53

LOUISVILLE

74

113

HAWAII

24

54

OREGON ST

74

114

MISSISSIPPI

22

55

ARMY

72

115

VANDERBILT

20

56

S CAROLINA

72

116

IDAHO

19

57

ARIZONA

71

117

TENNESSEE

13

58

WYOMING

70

118

OKLAHOMA ST

12

59

CALIFORNIA

70

119

AIR FORCE

1

60

N MEXICO ST

70

120

FAU

0

Please check PhilSteele.com everyday to get my Top 30 Countdown, which posted #16 Notre Dame yesterday. Thru June 16th, I will post both magazine pages on a new team ranked in the Top 30 and you can get an early look on how I breakdown your favorite team. Remember those magazine pages are available for only 24 hours for you to download. Today, Auburn comes in at #15.

Also the official on sale date of the magazine is June 8th, but some people have already seen them in the bookstores and the cost is just $8.95. We did get a shipment into our offices yesterday and if you want to order thru the offices the cost is $13.70 with postage. Call 1-866-918-7711 or visit the PhilSteele.com store to order yours today

I will be back tomorrow with the final look at the Experience Chart.

Only 92 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE FIRST COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME!!!

In here is the evidence supporting a Gopher surprize this season. In the great Northwest Big Ten Country, we run the football. Minnesota's mature OLine will dictate a running game much like their rival Wisconsin.

http://www.philsteele.com Phil Steele

The Gophers OL averages 323 lbs and should be one of the most improved O-lines in the country. However, the defense with just 2 returning starters and the brutal schedule that includes HG's vs USC, Penn St, Ohio St and Iowa are my main concerns With most of their winnable games are on the road I think the Gophers may miss a bowl game this year for just the 2nd time in 9 years. Thanks, Phil

http://www.philsteele.com Phil Steele

The Gophers OL averages 323 lbs and should be one of the most improved O-lines in the country. However, the defense with just 2 returning starters and the brutal schedule that includes HG's vs USC, Penn St, Ohio St and Iowa are my main concerns With most of their winnable games are on the road I think the Gophers may miss a bowl game this year for just the 2nd time in 9 years. Thanks, Phil

Llopez_00

Hey Phil,
I know you are probably getting ready for this weekend games. How ever other than this article, do you have any other information in regards to your rated Offensive Line other than just O-Line Career starts? For instance how you rank each team O-Line based on potential?

http://www.philsteele.com Phil Steele

I base the O-line rankings on a varitery of factors. First is returning starters and career starts. I also look at the number of VHT’s they have in the two deep. I then also consider the sacks allowed particularly the sack % (pass att/# of sacks) and finally the rush ypg and rush ypc. Thanks, Phil